Progressive carton handling mechanism for cartoning machines



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PROGRESSIVE CARTON HANDLING MECHANISM FOR CARTONING MACHINES Filed March 16, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 16 12 23 144 12 39 I 13 n'iITi'I-I- Q 252 H Z4 230 2% INVEZTOR.

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W. JONES Aug. 1, 1967 PROGRESSIVE CARTON HANDLING MECHANISM FOR CARTONING MACHINES 18 Sheets-Sheet 18 Filed March 16, 1964 United States Patent 3,333,514 PROGRESSIVE CARTON HANDLING MECHANISM FOR CARTONING MACHINES Wicklifie Jones, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to R. A. Jones and Company, Inc., Covington, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Filed Mar. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 352,003 23 Claims. (31. 93-36) This invention relates to carton handling mechanism for carton loading and sealing machines and particularly to a mechanism which ejects the cartons in flat collapsed condition from a magazine and which progressively erects and squares the cartons in a positive manner during continuous advancement of the cartons in stream formation toward and through the loading and sealing machine.

One of the primary objectives of the invention has been to provide a progressive erecting mechanism, utilizing traveling hold-down blades which are inserted transversely into the open ends of the fiat collapsed cartons, the traveling blades coacting with other longitudinally moving elements to erect the cartons in a rapid positive manner during continuous advancement of the cartons.

The present progressive erecting mechanism includes, in general, a carton magazine arranged to confine the flat collapsed cartons in stack formation, and a carton ejection conveyor having ejection lugs traveling continuously in a longitudinal path beneath the magazine and arranged to eject the flat cartons individually from the lower end of the magazine. The traveling blade mechanism mentioned above, comprises a blade conveyor having individual hold-down blades which move bodily in the longitudinal direction in registry with and at the same speed as the collapsed cartons as they are ejected from the magazine. In addition, to the bodily longitudinal motion of the blades, each blade has a component of transverse motion, such that by virtue of the coordinated longitudinal and transverse motions, one of the blades is inserted endwisely into each collapsed traveling carton immediately after it is ejected from the magazine. The blade is arranged to hold the flat collapsed carton in a positive manner upon the support surface over which the carton slides as its trailing edge is engaged by the ejection lug to advance the collapsed carton.

In addition to the ejection conveyor, there is also provided an erection conveyor having spaced erection lugs which coact with the ejection lugs and traveling blades in erecting the carton. The erection lugs move in the same direction and at the same speed as the ejection lugs and traveling holddown blades and are arranged to rise progressively from a retracted position so as to engage the leading side panel of each collapsed carton, the adjacent bottom panel being held down upon the support surface by the traveling blade. The flat carton is thus erected in parallelogram fashion (as viewed from the end of the carton) from the fiat collapsed condition to its fully erected condition ready for loading.

Briefly therefore, the present erection mechanism takes advantage of the ejection lugs, not only to shift the collapsed carton in its own horizontal plane from the lower end of the magazine but also to assist in erecting the carton by advancing it in time with the traveling blades and erection lugs. In other words, the ejection lugs, traveling blades and erection lugs all cooperate with one another to provide rapid progressive erection of the continuously advancing cartons in a positive, reliable manner.

In the modified versions of the invention, which are included in the present disclosure, the erection lugs have been omitted; instead, the mechanism includes rotating star wheels which cooperate with the traveling blades and ejection lugs in erecting the cartons. In the modified versions, the star wheels are mounted above the ejection conveyor in a position to cooperate with the ejection lugs and traveling blades to erect the carton, utilizing the same progressive erection principle outlined above. However, in the modified structure, the star wheel acts from above, upon the leading portion of each collapsed carton instead of acting from below, as disclosed with respect to the traveling erection lugs.

In the preferred embodiment which has been selected to illustrate the principles of the invention, the ejection conveyor comprises a pair of chain runs, each carrying respective pairs of ejection lugs which are transversely.

aligned with one another and arranged to engage the trailing edge of the bowed carton at the bottom of the magazine. The erection conveyor comprises a single erection conveyor chain located downstream from the ejection conveyor and having spaced erection lugs adapted to engage the leading side panel of the collapsed carton. The downstream portion of the ejection conveyor straddles an upstream portion of the erection conveyor, such that the trailing edge of the blank is engaged by the ejection lugs after withdrawal from the magazine for positive advancement while the leading side wall is acted upon by the erection lug, with the bottom panel of the traveling carton confined by the traveling hold-down blade.

The traveling blades are carried by an overhead conveyor which extends along the overlapping portions of the ejection and erection conveyors; this overhead blade conveyor includes a stationary cam adapted to insert and withdraw the traveling blades transversely in time with each advancing carton so as to cooperate with the ejection and erection lugs. After erection, each carton is transferred to a transport conveyor which carries the erected cartons through the loading and sealing machine.

The loading and sealing machine comprises a carton loading section, an adhesive section and a flap closing and sealing section and is arranged to complete the packaging operation as the cartons are advanced therethrough by the transport conveyor.

The broad idea of utilizing a transversely movable blade or'spear in a carton erecting mechanism is disclosed in Patent 1,746,836, issued on Feb. 11, 1930, to the present assignee. However, the earlier patent does not suggest the present concept of progressive erection, wherein the blade travels longitudinally with the advancing carton. Instead,the earlier patent is directed to an intermittent motion machine, whereby the carton is moved in stepwise fashion during the erecting operation. The earlier patent also fails to suggest the principle of ejection lugs, traveling blades, and erection lugs, all coacting with one another in the progressive erection of the carton.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide an improved carton stack handling mechanism for the magazine which segregates the individual collapsed cartons from the stack in a rapid positive manner for engagement by the traveling ejector lugs, thereby to contribute to the rapid reliable operation of the carton erection mechanism.

Described briefly, the stack feeding mechanism comprises a reciprocating suction mechanism having suction mouthpieces engageable with the opposite end portions of the lowermost collapsed carton of the stack, combined with a set of carton retaining fingers normally engaging the opposite side edges of the collapsed carton to support the stack within the magazine. During the carton withdrawal, the suction mouthpieces engage the opposite end portions of the lowermost carton; the retaining fingers retract from the opposite side edges of the carton; then the suction mouthpieces descend. Immediately below the lower end of the magazine there is provided a pair of stationary rails which engage the mid-portion of the flat carton as it is withdrawn by the suction mouthpieces, thus causing the carton to be bowed downwardly across the 3 rails, with the end portions of the bowed carton disposed below the retaining fingers and in a plane to be engaged by the traveling ejection lugs.

When the flat carton reaches its bowed condition, the retaining fingers shift back to their retaining position beneath the end portions of the next fiat collapsed carton of the stack; the suction mouthpieces release the bowed end portions of the flat carton at about the same time the ejection lugs engage. the trailing edge of the carton. The

' fiat carton is then shifted by the ejector lugs-in its own horizontalpla'ne from beneath the 'magazine for engagemerit by the traveling blade and subsequent erection, as explained above. By virtue 'of the coaction between the retaining fingers, stationary support rails, suction mouthpieces and ejection lugs, all of which operate in time with one another, the cartons are ejected in a highly reliable and speedy manner.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide a combined progressive erection and tamping mechanism which acts upon the cartons after they have been loaded, closed and discharged from the transport conveyor, the tamping mechanism being operable to square each carton before it is discharged.

- According to this aspect of the invention, there is provided, at the downstream end of the transport conveyor, a curved discharge plate which rotates each loaded and closed car-ton about its longitudinal axis through aquarter turn in cascade formation and which deposits the carton upon a high speed conveyor with the carton resting upon one of its side walls. Downstream from the high speed conveyor, there is provided a' reciprocating presser foot forming a part of the tamping mechanism. The presser foot descends in time with the other components of the machine'so as to press the carton between its support surface and the presser foot momentarily, thereby to square the carton. The high speed conveyor is adapted to advance the cartons at a greater speed than the transport conveyor so as to provide the dwell period required by the tamping mechanism. After having been tamped,

the carton is advanced to a drying conveyor which sets the adhesive before the loaded carton is dischargedfrom the machine. i

The various features and advantages of the invention will be more fully apparent to those skilled in the art from V the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

' In the drawings FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating generally the carton magazine and the carton erecting mechanism which progressively erects the cartons as traveling blade which forms a part of the carton erecting mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating, in a general way, the sprocket chain system of the carton withdrawal and erection mechanism.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary end elevation, as viewed along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, further illustrating the lower portion of the carton magazine and withdrawal mechanism.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary end view taken from FIG- URE 5, illustrating the action of thesuction cups and carton ejection lugs during withdrawal of the carton from the lower end of the magazine. FIGURE '7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5, illustrating the cam and link mechanism which actuates the suction mouthpieces mounted at the lower end of the magazine as part of the carton withdrawal mechanism.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional viewtaken along along line 99 of FIGURE 5, "further illustrating the sprocket chain system of the traveling hold-down blades forming a part of the progressive carton erecting mechanism.

FIGURE 10 is atop plan, partially in section, taken along line 10 10 of FIGURE 9 further illustrating the arrangement of the traveling blades and other components of the carton erecting section.

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken along line 1111 of FIGURE 9, further illustrating the progressive carton erecting mechanism.

FIGURE 12 is a top plan view of the carton feeding and progressive erection mechanism as viewed along line 1212 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary top plan as viewed along the line 13- 13 of FIGURE 4 illustrating'the progressive carton erection mechanism downstream from FIGURE 12, illustrating particularly the arrangement of the traveling blades which assist in the carton erection.

FIGURE 14 is a diagrammatic view, further illustrating the progressive carton erecting mechanism, including the traveling blades and coacting erection lugs as viewed from the side of the machine opposite to that shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary perspective view, illustrating the downstream end of the machine, particularly the discharge mechanism which turns and conveys the filled cartons from the machine to the tamping mechanism.

FIGURE 16 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken along line 1616 of FIGURE 15, further illustrating the carton discharge mechanism.

FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the'line 1717 of FIGURE 15, further detailing the carton discharge and tamping apparatus. T

FIGURES 18 and 19 are enlarged fragmentary diagrammatic views generally similar to FIGURE 16 and illustrating the operation of the carton tamping and discharge mechanism.

. FIGURE 20 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modified arrangement in which a rotating star wheel is utilized in place of the erection lugs for progressive carton erection.

FIGURES 21-23 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the rotating star wheel in erecting the carton. I

' FIGURE 24 is a diagrammatic view showing a further modification of the star wheel arrangement.

FIGURES 25 and 26 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the star wheel.

General arrangement position,

The invention is directed primarilyto the mechanism' for feeding and erecting the cartons progressively and also to the tamping mechanism which acts upon the opposite sides of the carton to square it before it is discharged from the machine.

The carton loading and sealing machine, which includes the flap handling mechanism, adhesive applying mechanism, loading mechanism, and flap closing mecha- 

1. A CARTON HANDLING MECHANISM FOR A CARTON LOADING AND SEALING MACHINE, SAID CARTON HANDLING MECHANISM ADAPTED TO EJECT FLAT COLLAPSED CARTONS AND TO PROGRESSIVELY ERECT THE SAME DURING CONTINUOUS ADVANCEMENT OF THE CARTONS, SAID CARTON HANDLING MECHANISM COMPRISING, A CARTON MAGAZINE ADAPTED TO CONFINE FLAT COLLAPSED CARTONS IN STACK FORMATION AND HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END, A PLURALITY OF CARTON RETAINING ELEMENTS MOUNTED ADJACENT THE OPEN LOWER END OF THE MAGAZINE, SAID RETAINING ELEMENTS NORMALLY RESIDING IN A CARTON RETAINING POSITION AND ADAPTED TO BE SHIFTED TO A CARTON RELEASE POSITION, A RECIPROCATING SUCTION MECHANISM MOUNTED ADJACENT THE OPEN END OF THE MAGAZINE AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND WITHDRAW THE END CARTON OF THE STACK FROM THE MAGAZINE WHEN THE RETAINING FINGERS SHIFT TO SAID CARTON RELEASE POSITION, CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING EJECTION MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT THE OPEN LOWER END OF THE CARTON MAGAZINE AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE CARTON WHICH IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE MAGAZINE BY THE SUCTION MECHANISM AND TO SHIFT THE COLLAPSED CARTON LONGITUNDINALLY FROM THE MAGAZINE IN A DOWNSTREAM DIRECTION, AN ELONGATED CARTON SUPPORT ELEMENT EXTENDING LONGITUNDINALLY IN THE DOWNSTREAM DIRECTION FROM THE OPEN LOWER END OF THE MAGAZINE AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE CARTON UPON EJECTION FROM THE MAGAZINE, A CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING BLADE ELEMENT MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY AT THE SAME RATE AND IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE COLLAPSED CARTON WHICH IS EJECTED FROM THE MAGAZINE, SAID BLADE ELEMENT HAVING A COMPONENT OF TRANSVERSE MOTION ADAPTING THE BLADE ELEMENT TO BE INSERTED ENDWISELY INTO THE ADVANCING COLLAPSED CARTON, SAID BLADE ELEMENT ADAPTED TO PARTIALLY ERECT THE CARTON AND TO HOLD THE CARTON DOWNWARDLY UPON SAID CARTON SUPPORT ELEMENT DURING LONGITUDINAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE CARTON, AND CONTINUOUSLY MOVING CARTON ERECTION MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE PARTIALLY ERECTED CARTON DURING LONGITUNDINAL ADVANCEMENT THEREOF AND TO PROGRESSIVELY ERECT THE CARTON.
 20. A TAMPING MECHANISM FOR A CARTON LOADING AND SEALING MACHINE, SAID CARTON LOADING AND SEALING MACHINE HAVING A TRANSPORT CONVEYOR EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND HAVING VERTICAL TRANSPORT FINGERS ADAPTED TO CONFINE AND TRANSPORT ERECTED CARTONS THROUGH THE LOADING AND SEALING MACHINE, SAID TRANSPORT CONVEYOR HAVING AN IDLER SPROCKET AT THE DOWNSTREAM END THEREOF ADAPTING SAID FINGERS TO MOVE RADIALLY ABOUT SAID IDLER SPROCKET TO DISCHARGE THE CARTONS THEREFROM, SAID TAMPING MECHANISM COMPRISING: A CARTON SUPPORT ELEMENT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE DOWNSTREAM END OF THE TRANSPORT CONVEYOR AND DISPOSED IN A PLANE BELOW THE TRANSPORT CONVEYOR; A CURVED CARTON CONTROL PLATE DISPOSED GENERALLY IN A TANGENT RELATIVE TO THE IDLER SPROCKET OF THE TRANSPORT CONVEYOR AND CURVING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TRANSPORT CONVEYOR TO THE SAID CARTON SUPPORT SURFACE; SAID CURVED CARTON CONTROL PLATE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE CARTON AT THE DOWNSTREAM END OF THE TRANSPORT CONVEYOR, TO ROTATE THE CARTON THROUGH A QUARTER TURN, AND TO DEPOSIT THE CARTON ON THE CARTON SUPPORT ELEMENT; A RECIPROCATING PRESSER FOOT MOUNTED ABOVE THE CARTON SUPPORT ELEMENT AND RECIPROCATING IN TIME WITH THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CARTONS AND ENGAGING EACH CARTON AND PRESSING THE SAME AGAINST THE CARTON SUPPORT ELEMENT, THEREBY TO SQUARE THE CARTON; AND A HIGH SPEED CONVEYOR EXTENDING ALONG SAID CARTON SUPPORT ELEMENT AND ADAPTED TO ADVANCE THE CARTONS FROM THE DOWNSTREAM END OF THE TRANSPORT CONVEYOR AT A LINEAL SPEED GREATER THAN THE LINEAL SPEED OF THE TRANSPORT CONVEYOR, THEREBY TO PROVIDE A DWELL PERIOD ADAPTING THE SAID RECIPROCATING PRESSER FOOT TO ACT UPON THE CARTON. 